On Thursday 8 February, Susannah Rodgers, MBE, Paralympic Gold medallist, visited Bournemouth University to talk to students about leadership and resilience.
Since winning her gold and bronze medals swimming in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic games, Susannah has gone on to become a Disability Advocate, Technical Advisor, Ocean Ambassador and Public Speaker.
Susannah wears prosthetic limbs on her left side and orthotics for her right foot. She has lived a life of disability since birth. She began her talk with pictures taken from her childhood, showing the development of her prosthetics as she grew up, with the final image showing Susannah in her thirties standing in the British sea.
Susannah spoke to students about the athlete mindset, sharing what supported her during her time as an athlete. She shared that she learnt through repetition, rehearse and repeat, always looking at how she can tweak to become a better athlete both in her home life and training. She also spoke about “lessons on losing”, and the importance of resilience with loss. Susannah said to students, “Finding purpose and passion is a win in itself”.
Susannah shared her personal resilience strategy, speaking about the importance of teamwork: "No person is an island - accept and be comfortable with change and risk." Goal setting is also an integral part of the strategy, ensuring planning for every potential outcome. Susannah uses incremental planning to break down her targets/goals into manageable steps. At the core of the strategy was self-awareness and purpose, building upon beliefs and dreams.
Martin Wells, High Performance Sport Manager, said: “It’s great for Susannah to be here, students studying BU’s Sport and Sport Management courses can learn from her resilience, expertise, and knowledge.”
The talk aimed to inspire students from diverse backgrounds and encourage them to pursue studies, work, or volunteer overseas opportunities, gaining a global perspective. Susannah said, “My studies abroad were transformative, they gave me the confidence to pursue my swimming and work”. Gaining a global expective supported her drive to do something purposeful and promote disability inclusivity, which later in life led her to work as a Disability Advocate and Ocean Ambassador.
Dora Sinaga, MSc Student in International Hospitality and Tourism Management, said: “I tried many times to get a scholarship to study in the UK, Susannah’s talk has inspired me to continue to strive for more, going beyond what I think I can do.”
Watch highlights from the event and our interview with Susannah on YouTube.
After Susannah’s talk, BU’s Jana Kuncova, Head of International Mobility and Experience spoke to the students about opportunities they have at BU for studying working or travelling abroad. Jana said: “We are sending students oversees so they can experience what it is like to live in a completely different environment in other countries. Students come back from these international experiences, and they are completely different, and have grown in confidence.”
Funded opportunities abroad include:
Work experience with British University Vietnam
Volunteering opportunity with Think Pacific
Opportunity at National Youth Sports Institute, Singapore
If you are studying at Bournemouth University and are interested in embarking on work or volunteering abroad, find out how the Turing Scheme funding can support you.
